Hannah Rose MacCallum successfully defends her MA thesis

We are proud to announce that Hannah Rose MacCallum has successfully defended her MA thesis entitled “Sadistic Sexual Offending: An Analysis of Criminal Career Dimensions”. This accomplishment reflects her dedication and the quality of her work.

Abstract

Sadistic traits among sexual offenders are thought to influence both the severity and versatility of offending, yet their relationship to broader criminal career patterns remains unclear. This study investigates whether sadistic offenders differ from non-sadistic counterparts across key criminal career indicators, including offence type and frequency. A sample of 240 convicted adult male offenders incarcerated in a federal Canadian correctional facility was assessed using DSM-IV criteria and the Severe Sexual Sadism Scale (SeSaS). Logistic regression indicated that antisocial and borderline personality disorders, as well as sexual masochism, were associated with DSM-defined sadism, whereas SeSaS-defined sadism related more closely to offence characteristics and victim selection. DSM-defined sadists exhibited more versatile criminal careers and higher rates of violent and non-sexual offences, while SeSaS sadists showed no association with general offending patterns. These findings highlight important distinctions between diagnostic and behavioural measures of sadism, with implications for risk assessment, intervention, and future research.

Congratulations, Hannah Rose, on this remarkable achievement! We look forward to seeing where your academic and professional path leads next!